


The Meaning-of-Life Stuff

by Antares



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Frottage, Inspired by Art, Jealousy, Kissing, M/M, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 09:54:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11438409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares/pseuds/Antares
Summary: SG-1 finds another repository left by the four Ancient races and Daniel is very enthusiastic – Jack not so much.





	The Meaning-of-Life Stuff

**Author's Note:**

> Beta: Many thanks to my wonderful beta Shazzz!  
> Notes: Written for the Stargate Reversebang  
> Artist: Craterdweller (Thank you very much for the great wallpaper!)  
> Link to Art:  
> https://68.media.tumblr.com/ff4ea20fbd2d79423d7c33b990810319/tumblr_oq8x8eqw831w3rok3o9_1280.png

 

“Good morning, campers. Another lovely day in paradise,” Jack said when he reached the table in the dining room where his team members had already started with their last breakfast on PX8 Z44, or Ceytor Prime, as the people here called it. They were scheduled to leave in the afternoon. 

“You are correct, O’Neill, the day is lovely, but fortunately, we are not on a camping trip,” Teal’c answered. 

“Hey, what do you have against a bit of outdoor fun?” Jack asked and took his place at the large window overlooking the light-yellow city which seemed nearly pink with the first sunrays illuminating the houses. The days were rather short on Ceytor Prime; the sun didn’t rise until nine o’clock and set around four. Carter had explained why, but he hadn’t really listened. 

“Nothing, sir”, Sam answered, “but isn’t it nice to have real beds instead of self-gonflating mats and fresh fruit for breakfast instead of MREs?” 

“Geez, when did my team turn into boring all inclusive tourists?” Jack shook his head, but he had to admit that the crispy flat bread not only smelled heavenly, but also tasted like fresh from the oven and much better than the foil wrapped biscuits they often had to eat. 

This was their third and last day on Ceytor Prime, and this whole mission had been successful so far. Carter had gathered her fair share of soil samples and interesting talks with different scientists who were very advanced in shield technology. When not assisting her, Teal’c had played ‘who’s the strongest of us all’, wrestling and mock-fighting with some of their hosts, and teaching them some special Jaffa tricks. 

Daniel hadn’t seen a single sunray during the last few days because he had spent them entirely in different museums, libraries and archives. Like a lovesick puppy, he had trotted behind whoever wanted to show him some archaeological doohickey. And for Jack, he had talked to all sorts of interesting and boring people, when he wasn’t making sure that his team members were fine. 

And today looked like a repeat performance of the previous days. One last trip to the library, a remaining visit to a large industrial complex at the outskirts of the city, and Jack and Teal’c were invited to watch some sort of ball game in the large city arena. It felt a bit like a long-needed vacation. 

\------------------

In the afternoon, when Jack was back in the hotel and packing, Daniel stormed into Jack’s room without knocking first. He was used to it by now, when Daniel got too excited he sometimes forgot his manners. 

“Jack! Come with me! You have to see this! It’s absolutely fascinating. They have a ... you remember Heliopolis, Ernest’s planet, don’t you? And ...”

Jack nodded. “Of course I do. How could I forget the little naked guy that hugged me?” 

“Naked guy? Oh, yeah.” Daniel made an impatient gesture with his hand. “But you remember the incredibly amazing repository of knowledge we found there, don’t you? The one with the orange lights and the representations of the elements floating around us? And you wouldn’t believe it, but they have the same artefact here! That’s... that’s… so…” Daniel wandered back and forth from the window to the bed and made a helpless gesture with his hands before he continued, “That means that the four races didn’t only leave one giant library behind, but at least two and perhaps even more. Not all their knowledge was lost. Isn’t that fantastic? I was allowed to...” 

“Slow down, Daniel. And stop walking around in circles. You make me nervous.” He hadn’t seen Daniel so excited for a long time. Jack sat down on the bed and patted beside him. 

“I...” 

“Sit.” 

Daniel sat reluctantly on the edge of the bed and with a little frown he pushed up his glasses and continued, “Okay. So they have this absolutely intriguing repository in the northern part of their library. Mroinia showed it to me today, and there are at least two dozen scientists working on it - with it - however you want to put it. They’ve already found amazing things!” He talked animatedly with his hands, nearly knocking over the potted plant on the bedside table. “And they’ve invited me to prolong my stay here and work with them. I can’t pass up such an incredible offer! I...” 

“What?” Jack was sure there was something wrong with the acoustics in the room because Daniel couldn’t have said what he’d heard. “Daniel, you can’t stay here. You’re an important part of SG-1,” Jack tried to say as calmly as possible because it was never a good thing if Daniel got stubborn. “We need someone on our team who’s able to decipher all the alien scribbling.” 

“I know. But there are enough archaeologists and linguists to choose from at the SGC.” 

Jack forced a smile on his lips and singsonged, “But you’re potty trained. I want you.” He gave Daniel’s shoulder a friendly push with his shoulder. No way he’d let Daniel stay behind alone! 

Daniel didn’t react to Jack’s banter. “Not this time, Jack. I’ve to stay here. You know why I joined SG-1, first to find my wife, and then to find her son – and both tasks have been accomplished. I’m free to pursue my interests now. You guys are my friends, but let’s be realistic, there’s nobody waiting for me back home. I barely be missed.” 

“But...”

“My fish are happy with or without me as long as they’re fed regularly. I have no colleagues, no friends outside the SGC. I know, that’s sad for a man of my age, but I can’t change it. So, tell me, what’s really calling me back to Earth when here I have the possibility to study the… ‘meaning-of-life-stuff’ that I couldn’t study the first time around?” He made air quotes with his indexes. 

Jack had a whole list of things, personal things, work-related things, but nothing that could be compared to a library full of immense and unique knowledge he had Daniel dragged away from years ago, because he’d been so besotted with it that he would have idiotically risked his life to spend more time with it. 

And what cosmic joke had brought a replica of the fucking repository exactly to this planet? They should’ve gone home a day earlier! Everything would still be fine and Jack wouldn’t have been in the crappy situation of having to talk Daniel out of this. “Your fish, they’ll miss you. They recognize your voice. They come whenever you open the hood of the aquarium.” 

“They come because an open hood means feeding time. They’re absolutely fine with you doing that.” 

“Me? You’d risk that? You know I’m more of a fish catching person than fish feeding type. Half your fish would be floating by the end of the week.” Jack knew that was lame, but what argument did he have against the combined knowledge of the four mysterious ancient races? 

“My guppies aren’t big enough for your frying pan,” Daniel answered and continued. “We can’t let this unique opportunity slip through our fingers again. This isn’t like that head-sucker apparatus which nearly killed you. This one is safe. If I study it, it has no bad consequences for my brain. Think of all the things we could learn! I have to and I want to do this!” He grabbed Jack’s hand as if he could pass on his enthusiasm through their joined fingers. 

The worst thing was that a tiny part of Jack understood Daniel. Perhaps their Goa’uld problem *could* be solved by gaining insight into the thoughts and problem solving processes of the powerful four races that had been around much longer than mankind. Or Daniel could find some construction plans for advanced weapons inside that library. But... 

“I have to take this opportunity,” Daniel said again, nearly imploring. 

“For how long?” Jack was aware that this was the first step to his defeat. Damage containment was called for. Make Daniel’s stay as short as possible. “Two weeks?”

“I can’t say. It all depends on what I can learn from this archive.” 

That didn’t sound too promising. Jack didn’t see Daniel ever getting tired of learning. So he tried another approach. “Look, at least gate back with us to the SGC, talk to Hammond, and then, in a few days, come back here when you’re ready.” 

Daniel laughed softly and leaned against the backrest of the bed. “No.” He shook his head. “I’m ready, Jack. I’ll arrange for some of my things to be transferred here – but other than that I’m immediately ready to get to work on the repository.” 

Daniel looked so sure of himself, so utterly convinced that he would do the right thing that Jack felt at a loss for words. After a moment, Jack sighed deeply and asked, “How do I explain to the SGC that I lost my archaeologist on this mission?” 

“You don’t lose me. You give me a temporary assignment.” 

“No. You *took* another job, I didn’t give it to you,” Jack said angrily. “Do you think it’s fair to us, to the SGC, to quit without notice?” 

The archaeologist huffed. “The Air Force threatened to kick me out without notice on more than one occasion. You remember PX7 77U where they wanted the indigenous people to mine the naquadah without proper protection gear? Or Galyina? Where they happily accepted to pay only half the wage to the female workers – because it was a custom there? Both times, when I kept complaining, they threatened to kick me off the team.” 

Daniel was right. It had taken a lot of Hammond’s time and diplomatic skills to find acceptable solutions for both sides. The higher ups would have replaced Daniel without further ado. 

“What about an apartment? To begin with, you have to find a place to live.” If Jack was lucky, finding an affordable place here was as difficult as it was in Colorado Springs. 

“They have a guest house for scientists. There are always visiting scientists from other parts of the country. It’s directly in the garden of the main library.” 

“A dorm? That’s like going back to college. Aren’t you a bit old for this?”

“It’s only for the beginning. If I decide to stay here, I’ll look for something bigger.” 

Jack gulped. Stay here? Like in ‘forever’? How frigging permanent were they talking? That was horrible! That meant they had to look for more than a temporary replacement. A new archaeologist to join their team for real. And Jack wasn’t ready to do that! Hell, no! He had invested so much time into this one. “You can’t stay without asking Hammond first.” Hopefully the general would be able to talks some sense into Daniel. Sometimes the “father-son talks” made Daniel see the situation in a new light, keeping Daniel from making a life altering decision that would affect him and the team in a big way. 

“I can and I will”, Daniel said firmly. “If I go back now, the SGC will find hundreds of excuses why it isn’t a good time for me to return. There’ll always be new missions, new enemies, new tasks.” 

“And that’s why we need you!” Jack wanted to shake some sense into him. Couldn’t Daniel see that? It wasn’t like leaving behind an unfinished office job. There was always someone to take it from there. But Daniel was… unique. 

“No. You need *someone*, but not necessarily me.” 

Jack didn’t like it. Not one bit. This was no way to treat his friends. He tried to appeal to Daniel’s conscience. “You can’t leave us like that. That’s not fair and there are rules against it. Even you know that going AWOL is a pretty serious offense. You can’t simply walk away because you found something new and shiny.” 

“Actually, Jack, I can. I’m not in the military, and unlike you, I can leave whenever I want.” 

“Hey! Don’t make this a military versus civilian affair!” Jack said more harshly than intended. 

“I don’t!” Daniel sprang up from the bed, went to the window, came back and asked snappily, “Do you want to see the repository now - yes or no?” 

“No.” Jack knew that it was childish but he was pissed as hell and didn’t want to give Daniel the satisfaction of being impressed. Then added, “Fine, sure, right!” Jack snapped, losing his temper. “Go explore. We’ll see what General Hammond has to say about this! This situation isn’t over by a long shot, mister,” Jack threatened. 

Before Daniel could leave the room, there was another knock at the door and Teal’c came in and asked if everyone was ready to depart. 

“Our resident expert here has decided that he has better things to do than to return with us mere mortals to our humble planet”, Jack replied scathingly and brushed past Daniel. “Let’s get outta here, T.” 

“Our resident pig-headed, fearless leader has decided that there is nothing to learn from the wisdom of the ancient races,” Daniel said in the same tone. 

“Wisdom? They’re a secretive bunch and not overly helpful when you need them.” Jack brushed past Teal’c, but when he wanted to leave, the Jaffa made a step to the side, thus barring his way. 

“Did you two engage in a quarrel?” 

“No”, “Yes”, Jack and Daniel said nearly in unison. And Daniel explained to Teal’c about the repository and his wish to stay behind. 

Teal’c’s “I understand, Daniel Jackson’s position”, did nothing to lighten Jack’s mood. 

In the end, Daniel accompanied them to the gate, spoke to Hammond, twisted all the arguments, and charmed the general into allowing him to stay behind. While listening to the cunning archaeologist, Jack felt the nearly overwhelming desire to shove him through the gate, but with superhuman strength he refrained from doing so. 

\-------------------------------------------------

Daniel passed the first two weeks in a learning ecstasy. He only stopped to eat and much needed sleep; other than that, he spent every minute in the library. In the first few days he had no time to miss his team, and the barely sympathetic colonel even less. It felt so good to work all day with other scientists, discuss findings, and argue about the tiniest nuances in translations. Hopefully one day he would contribute an infinitesimal small part to deciphering this ancient legacy. For now, he was still mostly learning the language of the Nox and the Furlings, and deepening his understanding of the Ancients and Asgard. 

Two weeks later, Mroinia, a small brunette in a green shirt with darker green trousers, and her cousin Ntru, a dark- haired man of Daniel’s size, came to his room and invited him to accompany them to the famous Rybiloy Waterfalls.

Daniel politely declined. “I’m working on…” 

“Today, you aren’t working.” Mroinia laughed. She threw her packpack and jacket-cape on his bed, went to the window and closed it. “Didn’t anybody explain to you that after fifteen days your access card is blocked for a whole day?” 

“No? Why?” 

“Well, the builders of the repository obviously knew how single minded scientists can get, and therefore they made sure that at least from time to time you have to stay away from the building”, Ntru explained and wrapped his colourful shawl which threatened to fall to the ground once more around his neck. 

Mroinia searched in her backpack and shoved a leaflet into Daniel’s hand. “Here. The waterfalls look gorgeous; don’t you think so? Come with us. They really are worth the trip. And isn’t it also part of your job to do a bit of sightseeing?”

“You should call it, ‘learn about our culture’”, Ntru teased his cousin. “Then he’ll feel more obliged to come with us.” 

Daniel looked from Mroinia to Ntru. They were both smiling and very obviously wanted him to accompany them. And Ntru was right, he should learn more about their society and their country. “Okay. I only need to grab my camera, a jacket, and something to drink, and then we can go.” 

“Don’t forget your shawl”, Mroinia picked it from the wardrobe and gave it to him. It had been a gift from Ntru on his second day after the departure of his team. On Ceytor, when the wind came from the large deserts in the west, it brought lots of very fine sand with it and the best way to protect yourself was a large scarf. Daniel had learned the hard way not to leave the shawl in his room. There had been sand everywhere; in his clothing, his shoes, his hair, his eyebrows and in some rather delicate places. 

“Thanks.” He wrapped the grey-blue shawl around his neck, took his knee-long, wide jacket that he had bought when Mroinia had declared that it was absolutely necessary that he’d have something more ‘Ceytor-like’ to wear. And he had to admit these cape-jackets were very practical, protected against rain and wind and sometimes even doubled as a blanket or folded up as a cushion. 

They took the monorail to the entry of the Rybiloy National Park and from there it was a lovely two hour walk to the waterfalls. The day was sunny and warm and they sat down under a large fern tree with white blossoms where they had a perfect view of the main waterfalls. Green water, peridot-green water, as Jack would have called it, was cascading down the hill, filling various white basins until they overflowed and spilled into the pools below. There were at least fifty basins of various sizes. 

It was a postcard-perfect picture, and Daniel decided to send some photos back to earth during their next scheduled check-in. He was sure that these photos and videos would meet with more interest from SG-1 than the data he had sent about his findings in the library. Jack would immediately have an impossible idea what to do with the small pools – like being perfect for cooling beer or something crazy like that. Perhaps Jack even would… 

Daniel resolutely chased Jack from his thoughts, and Mroinia handed out some small cakes, purple and orange fruit and soft cheese from her backpack. They ate in companionable silence; the only sounds were the gurgling and swooshing of the water, the chirping of some birds, and the laughing of some small children who tried not to get wet when the water fell into the last basin and splashed. 

“Are you satisfied with your stay here so far?” Ntru asked after a while. 

“Oh, yes. Everybody is very friendly and I’ve learned a lot. I savour the time and leisure I have for the translations. Nobody’s life is depending on me finding the perfect solution in half an hour.” He took another bite out of the purple fruit, held it up and continued, “I really like the food and … my room is nice.” 

He smiled. He was working the whole time so it didn’t matter that the whole ‘apartment’ here wasn’t much bigger than the bedroom in his apartment in the Springs. “And the library is so vast and… and… so fascinating. I know that’s a very poor word to describe how overwhelmed I am.” Daniel pulled a face and grinned apologetically. 

Mroinia nodded. “I think we all were speechless when we saw it for the first time.” She stretched out on the grass and asked, “Is it smaller or bigger than that one you found years ago, the one that fell into the sea during the storm?” 

“I don’t know. I only have some pages with notes and a few minutes of film – the rest disappeared forever.” 

“That must have been devastating for you,” Ntru said. “To be so close – and then lose it.” 

“Indeed.” Oh my god! Now he was channelling Teal’c. “But I was lucky to make it out alive.” Thanks to Jack. Why was he always in his thoughts today? Daniel shrugged his shoulders. 

“And now you’ve got a second chance,” Mroinia smiled. 

“Yes. I’m very glad I didn’t tumble into the precipice with the first library.” Daniel laughed. 

“So are we,” Ntru said smiling, and got up. “Shall we have a look at the other waterfalls?” 

Daniel and Mroinia nodded, and they continued their walk. 

That night, when he was in his room again and reviewed the day, it felt like a wake-up call to him. With a pang of shame, he realized that he had seen Ceytor Prime only as an immense library at his disposal and nothing more. He had spent no thought that this was a world with living people in it and not just the repository of knowledge. From the point of view of an anthropologist he had failed miserably so far. 

The little he knew was that Ceytor Prime was a relatively safe place because of their intricate and powerful shield system. There was only one large landmass and so it was easier than on earth with its different continents to protect it effectively. 

Until today he had only had a short glimpse into a world that wasn’t divided by nations, languages or religious beliefs. A world that shared a common history and – perhaps even more important – a common enemy. Whatever differences they had had in the past, everything was subordinated to their common to goal not to fall under Goa’uld slavery again. 

Daniel decided to split his time from now on a bit more evenly between his work and his new colleagues, to regularly read more of the newspapers instead of only the works of long gone Asgard, Nox or Furling poets. It was time to give the meaning-of-life-stuff a broader sense. And he would start with organizing some sort of house warming party and invite Mroinia, Nrtu and his closest colleagues to thank them for their hospitality and to get to know each other better. 

\----------------

Three weeks later the Ceytorians dialled Earth for him and Daniel was a bit disappointed to see only General Hammond and Walter on the other side. But he learned that SG-1 was on a mission and the soonest they would be back was in three days. 

Daniel sent his newest photos and films through and about fifty pages of facts he had learned from the library so far. But he was critical enough to know that only the historians would be thrilled by these. He hadn’t learned anything that could be used in their fight against the Goa’uld. Then he reprimanded himself, because life wasn’t only meant to be a fight against the Goa’uld. Life was also about knowledge, and history, and the question of where they came from and who had lived before them – and for these questions he had already found some interesting new insights. 

Not to forget the present state of the society which he had “studied” more intensely since their trip to the waterfalls. Since then he had made it a custom to eat at least one meal every day in the library restaurant with his colleagues. He had asked questions, observed them, and when he was back in his room he’d taken notes. But he took great care not to treat them like interesting specimens under the microscope, even if it was not always easy and sometimes he had to bite his lip. 

Ntru who obviously had observed him very closely during a lunch with a lot of lip biting, offered to answer his remaining questions in private. “I see you still have a few questions you don’t want to discuss over soup, salad and pudding,” he grinned while they were walking through the gardens of the library to the guest house. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Was I that obvious?” 

“No, it’s fine. What’s bothering you?” Ntru sat down on a bench and made a sign to Daniel to follow his example. 

But Daniel kept standing, savouring the last warming sunrays on his back. “When today one of the scientists was excited after learning that his contract had gotten renewed he embraced his wife and kissed her on the cheek. There were a lot of disapproving glances into his direction. It’s something I’ve noticed before. There’s nearly no public display of affection, although people are very friendly and considerate with each other. Is touching a taboo? Or shouldn’t I have asked?” 

“No, it’s not a taboo, and of course we touch each other – our children don’t grow on plants.” A huge grin lit up his whole face, “But it’s seen as a very private act. We don’t do it in public.” 

“Not even hand-holding? Or kissing?” 

“No. It has to do with the Goa’uld that once reigned over this country. Her name was Inanna…”

“The Sumerian goddess of love, war, fertility, sexual desire and lust,” Daniel finished the phrase. 

“Yes. At first Inanna was worshipped but throughout the millennia that changed. She got more and more unpredictable and cruel.” 

“She used a sarcophagus?” Daniel knew only too well how that could change a person. 

“Yes, our historians believe so. The sarcophagus was never found, but then it could have easily been on a different world.” 

“But how…?” 

“In the last two hundred years of her reign she rewarded and punished with sex acts. She forced our ancestors to have sex orgies in the middle of the market place, her Jaffa raped women and men alike, very often in front of their families and friends. When she herself had sex with her own son to create the ‘perfect’ next host for her, she lost the support of her last followers.” 

Nrtu shaded his eyes with his hands to look up at Daniel. “While she was in the ‘throes of passion’, as one of our old ballads so delicately describes it, our ancestors took the chance to kill her and her Jaffa. ‘The feast of blood went on for three days and the cries of the murdered disturbed the nights’. Our forefathers and –mothers really were on a blood spree. And guess what? Nowadays that’s our most important three-day-holiday.” With a lopsided grin, he shrugged his shoulders. 

“There are worse reasons for a national holiday than killing a tyrant,” Daniel said smiling. “So the ban of public display of affection is a reminder of the sex-addicted Goa’uld?” 

“Yes, you could say so. The ban was much more restrictive in former times, today it’s frowned upon, but that’s it.” Ntru got up and with a deliberate pat on Daniel’s shoulders he said, “We should head back, the sun will set in a few minutes. Why don’t you come with me to the weekly lecture on Ceytor’s history in the history department? I don’t know the subject for tonight, but I’m sure you’ll like it.” 

Going to a lecture was more reminiscent of his days at university. Daniel liked that idea, and with the promise to see Nrtu in two hours, he disappeared into his room to read at least a brief summary of Ceytor’s history. This was fun and rewarding and Daniel was very happy that he had stayed behind. 

Looking over the past few weeks he could now admit that his departure from the SGC had been very abrupt and he could have handled that much better. He knew that the general – and Jack – had been extremely lenient. They could have easily made it a question of either/or for him. Instead they had granted him leave. Daniel wasn’t proud of himself, but he wasn’t sorry that he had seized the opportunity that had been presented to him. Life here was peaceful and he was allowed to do what he liked best. He missed his team from time to time because there were so many things he would have shared with them. And after such a short time, he didn’t really have a history with these people and there were only so many facts and puns and film references you could explain before it got boring. 

Of all his friends, he missed Jack the most, but he tried to persuade himself that a certain distance was a good thing. Perhaps he would be finally able to forget the crush he had on his friend or he would meet someone here who could make him forget his unrequited love. When he had told Jack that there was nobody waiting for him when he came home, he had told the truth, but he had deliberately forgotten to add that is was because he let no one into his heart because Jack was already there. He would see how things worked out for him here. 

\------------------------------------------------

“Carter? Is there anything else we have to visit other than the megacliticum mine and the central processing unit for the mineral?” Jack asked while they walked with the resident head honcho of science and his minions to the first place. 

“To be precise, it’s an element, sir.” 

“They are rocks, Carter. So, mineral, element, that’s no difference.” 

“But a mineral is a chemical compound of crystalline form, while the term element is used for atoms having the same number of protons in their atomic nuclei and megacliticum is…” 

Jack held up his hand. “I get it – an element.” Much quieter but loud enough that Carter was able to hear it, he added, “In crystalline form.” He gave her a smug grin and re-arranged his cap. 

Carter lifted her eyebrow a millimeter and said in her no-nonsense voice, “To answer your question, no, these are the only items on our agenda.” 

“Okay.” 

This seemed to be another quick routine mission – as there had been happening a lot in the last few months. Without the archaeologist, they concentrated on their central job: finding rare minerals like naquadah, acquiring weapons, and advanced technology. If none of this was found on the planet they visited, they were back at the SGC within a few days or even hours. Efficiency was their new credo. 

After leaving Daniel on Ceytor Prime they had continued as a three-person team. But after the mission with the non-English speaking natives of PX5 54R who had nearly killed them with their crossbows (Jack still didn’t have the slightest idea what they had done to offend them), Hammond had insisted on taking a linguist or historian with them. Somehow, they quickly ran out of linguists who offered to accompany them. Jack really didn’t know why. 

So, they were back to a three-person team on worlds with industrialized or even more advanced societies than Earth, and only when the recordings of the MALP suggested archaic societies they would take Dr. Ingrid Ingelham with them. She had proven to be the most robust of the scientists. She wasn’t with them on this trip because the people here spoke English, only their intonation was a bit strange. 

When they neared the mines, Jack saw some buildings on the road side that looked out of place. Without an archaeologist, Jack didn’t really expect an answer, but he asked his two companions nonetheless, “What about those temple thingies on the roadside? With the Greek or Roman columns, and no,” he wagged his index finger in Carter’s direction, “don’t explain the difference between the two of them to me.” 

“You’re safe, sir. I don’t know the difference between Roman and Greek columns. I’m the wrong person for that question. But we could ask one of our hosts.” 

“Don’t bother.” Jack waved a dismissive hand. Their hosts were even more in a hurry to get over with this visit than they were. 

“I assume those temples are for decorative purpose only,” Teal’c answered. “I see no people entering or leaving them.” 

“But they look old,” Jack said and felt the strange wish to have at least a short look at these buildings which clearly pre-dated every other building they had seen so far. He was tempted to investigate them despite… No! He shoved that thought resolutely to the back of his mind. Hell, no! And no, he didn’t miss Daniel wandering around and exploring things that weren’t relevant to their mission! They had to find out if this mineral, element, whatever, was useful to them – not if there were any weird inscriptions on strange temples. 

If Jack had known that the next three days were purely ‘administrative’ work, which meant spending ten hours a day sitting on his butt in a poorly ventilated room, he would have ignored the sour faces and made a little detour to the temple. 

But it was too late now. He was BORED. Not only with a capital B, but everything in this word was in capital letters. Of course, treaties and the accompanying paperwork were necessary, but since when did it involve so much time reading and discussing and comparing of legal texts? Jack scratched his head with his pen, yawned and read article 7, paragraph 3, subparagraph D for the third time. 

Yesterday they had asked the SGC for a lawyer after it was clear that these people loved paperwork. Mr Warnerton was said to be very good. Hammond had recommended him highly, but unfortunately, he was totally lacking in empathy. He didn’t understand why it was so important for the native population to include in a legal text phrases like “if the elements will be in our favour”. He argued that this was a loophole for interpretation and thus violation of the treaties but couldn’t come up with another way of reconciling his vision of what a legal text had to look like from their point of view. In the end, Carter, Teal’c and Jack line-edited the text so that everybody was satisfied and the weather-goddess was still in the text. 

“I really miss Daniel in moments like these”, Carter said after they had returned to the SGC and Jack had given a signed copy to General Hammond. 

“Pah, we managed perfectly without him.” Jack made an unconcerned gesture. He wouldn’t give Carter the satisfaction to be right, nor would he admit that he missed Daniel very acutely, because he didn’t want return to an empty house. If times had been as they were, they would have bought take out on their way home and spent the evening bitching and yawning and laughing in front of the TV. But no, the pointy-headed archaeologist had found new friends. 

Jack stretched his arms over his head, rolled his shoulders and asked, “Anybody up for a bit of table tennis, weight lifting or boxing?” He didn’t feel like going home yet. 

“No thank you, sir. I’ll head home and take a long stroll with Janet and Cassie in the park. I need some fresh air and Cassie has to walk her dog as well as the neighbour’s.” 

Teal’c inclined his head. “I would be pleased to lock antlers with you, O’Neill.” 

Jack grinned. “Horns, Teal’c, but other than that I’m game if you’re.” 

They went to the gym, played two rounds of table tennis, and boxed for twenty minutes. But without the Tok’ra armband Jack was no match for Teal’c. When he went down on the mattress for the seventh time in a row, he stayed down, wiped his sweating face with his arm and said, “This is very one-sided. You could go a bit easier on me.” 

“I do what I think is necessary to prepare you for battle.” 

“Preparing me for battle, my ass.” Jack snorted. “So, what’s with this Jaffa gloating then, every time my butt hits the mattress?” Jack moved himself into a sitting position and took off his boxing gloves. “I think I prefer to spar with our archaeologist, it’s better for my ego.” 

Teal’c offered a hand to help him up and asked, “When will Daniel Jackson again join us?” 

Jack grabbed Teal’c’s hand, and when he was standing he answered, “That’ is the big question. I don’t know.” He threw his gloves on the ping-pong table. “And frankly, I don’t care. If he wants to spend his days in the company of long dead people, I can’t change it, and it’s none of my business.”

“I’m afraid you are mistaken, O’Neill.” Teal’c put the boxing gloves back to where they belonged. 

“Whaddaya mean, T? The little book-worm stayed behind voluntarily.” Jack rammed his fist into the punching bag. “Ouch, crap!” For a moment, he had forgotten that he was no longer wearing the boxing gloves. 

“If you are not affected by Daniel Jackson’s absence, why are you so angry?” Teal’c offered a water bottle to Jack. 

Jack grabbed the bottle and took a long gulp. “I’m not angry.” 

Teal’c raised an eyebrow. 

Jack held Teal’c’s questioning look for nearly thirty seconds then he threw his hands in the air, conceding defeat. “Fine, I’m angry. I’m pissed with him for staying there and leaving us alone. We’re a team and I… we need him, as today clearly showed. It shouldn’t be our task to baby sit incompetent sticklers for the rules and do their work if there’s Daniel who could do it easily.” 

“Do you want to imply that you are only upset because we must work with inadequate replacements?” 

Was there a hint of disbelief in Teal’c’s voice? Jack wasn’t sure, but he nodded. “Yes. And that’s a very valuable reason.” He leaned against the ping pong table and crossed his arms before his chest. 

“It is indeed. But I believe there is a more personal explanation. You...” Teal’c hesitated, pulling tight the net in the middle of the ping pong table. It seemed that he needed his whole attention for the task. 

Jack couldn’t remember that he’d ever seen Teal’c so undecided. “What?” He challenged the Jaffa to answer. 

Teal’c squared his shoulders. “I think you are so unbalanced because you miss Daniel Jackson, your friend. With each day that passes it gets worse. You should male up, tell him how you feel and bring him home.” 

“That’s ‘man’ up, T. But tell him how I feel?” Jack’s voice nearly squeaked and he gave Teal’c an incredulous look. “Has someone recently introduced you to Hallmark movies? Fraiser? Carter? No, wait, Walter?” 

“I am not familiar with the term Hallmark.” 

Now Teal’c sounded like his old imperturbable self again, and Jack sighed with relief. “Don’t bother. You wouldn’t like them.” He gave the Jaffa a companionable slap on the shoulder, very relieved that this strange moment was over. “Let’s head home.” 

“As you wish, O’Neill.” 

At the door of the gym, Teal’c stopped. His hand already on the door handle he turned around and said, “I have often observed that actions often speak louder than words for you, O’Neill. Sometimes carnal intercourse succeeds where mere words fail. You know the means to bring Daniel Jackson home.” With that he left the gym and Jack stared open mouthed after him. 

\---------------------------------------------------

 

Daniel sat cross-legged on his bed, facing the door. On the other end of the mattress sat Nrtu. Even after more than five months he continued living in the tiny apartment in the guest house. Between them was a board where two armies had to fight together against the mighty Goa’uld Innana – the Ceytor-version of a chess game. A version that took into account that on this planet the humans had fought united against an enemy and not between themselves. 

Daniel loved the game. It wasn’t as competitive as chess, and it was played much faster, a round never going on for more than forty-five minutes. They often played it after work – Daniel had held true on his promise and spent much more time with his colleagues, Mroinia and Nrtu than before. 

“Shall we attack on the right?” Nrtu asked. “But you would have to sacrifice your bowmen for that.” 

“What’s the alternative? Wait... You could bring in your horses.” It was always necessary to make compromises and to talk your strategies through with your partner, something that made it very interesting for Daniel. 

“Horses? Plural? I’ve only one meagre horse left.” Nrtu made a face. 

“Oh, right.” Daniel moved three of his pawns. “I’m afraid we’ll lose this round.” 

“Yeah. The Goa’uld started with too many Jaffa this time.” Nrtu gave the board a sceptical look. “Next time we’ll cheat.” 

Daniel laughed out loud. Nrtu was always good for finding an unusual, creative way to solve a problem, not unlike a certain Colonel. “Okay. So, this time we bring in everything except the priestess and...” 

“...go down in style,” Nrtu said and arranged his pieces as agreed upon. Five minutes later, they were defeated and Innana dominated the board. 

“That was fast,” Nrtu stated.

“We were lousy,” Daniel admitted and put the pieces back into their box. “Do we have still time for a second round?” 

Nrtu consulted his watch. “Fifteen minutes. Not really. But... do you remember that I told you about the ‘Adulthood Ceremony’ yesterday?” 

“Yes. The ceremony for the children that turned ten and have to choose the school they want to attend to?”

“Exactly. I found photos of Mroinia’s and my ceremony.” He dug into the pockets of his trousers and came up with three photos held in such a way, that Daniel wasn’t able to see the pictures on them. 

“Okay, now I’m curious.” Daniel stretched out his hand. 

Nrtu hesitated. “I don’t know, we look silly. We have both long hair, curls, and are wearing formal clothes that we are much too young for. And I have a giant gap in my teeth,” Nrtu confessed with a sheepish grin. 

“Show me,” Daniel grinned. 

“No,” Nrtu shook his head. “You’ll make fun of me. “

“I’m sure there would be silly photos of me, with ridiculously big glasses, a book in each hand, and missing teeth as well, if my grandfather hadn’t thrown them all away.” Daniel bent forward and tried to reach the photographs the other man was now holding behind his back.

Nrtu let out a guffaw and tried to put them out of Daniel’s reach. Laughing, Daniel knee walked over to where Nrtu was sitting. He tried again to reach for the photos and with another laugh Nrtu fell back and Daniel landed on him. 

“Ouf, you’re heavy!” Nrtu grumbled.

“Hey, I haven’t even had lunch yet.” Both laughed. 

Right then they heard the door opening and a heartfelt, “What the hell?”, and turned around. 

Jack was standing on the threshold staring at them. 

“Jack!” Daniel untangled himself from Nrtu, while Jack stormed out of the room without a further word. 

“Jack! Wait!” Daniel called, but the door was already closed. 

“Dammit! Why is Jack here? Why didn’t I know he was coming?” Daniel searched for his shoes and put them on. 

“And why did he enter without knocking?” Nrtu asked. “That’s... uhm... very rude! He shouldn’t have seen us touching.” He obviously was very flustered about this breach of protocol. 

Daniel grabbed his jacket and his shawl from the desk chair where he had put them when coming home from work. He turned around to Nrtu. “I’ll try to explain it to him. Can you excuse me at work?”

“No problem, go and find him.” 

Daniel ran from the room. There was only one way down, the stairs, but when he entered the gardens, Jack was nowhere to be seen. Frantically, he asked the first by passer, “Did you see a man leaving the guest house?” 

“What does he look like?” 

“Tall, grey hair ... like an outworlder. He wears a green uniform.” It was strange to talk about his friend as an outworlder when he, Daniel, now looked so much like one of the Ceytorians. 

But it had been the right thing to say, because the man nodded and answered, “Oh yes, he was running in that direction as if Innana was after him.” 

“Thank you so much,” Daniel yelled while he stormed off into the direction the man had indicated. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the road to the town center, where they could have sat down in a nice little café and talked about it over a cup of Droiui, the Ceytor version of quasi-coffee that Daniel had come to appreciate. Instead, Jack had gone in the direction of the small forest that bordered the vast library gardens. 

Daniel cursed again when he noticed that he had put on his light shoes that were already soaked because the grass was still wet from this morning’s thunderstorm. “Jack!” he shouted when he reached the path that was leading into the small forest. But either Jack was much further ahead than Daniel had thought or he just ignored him. 

Running on, Daniel reached the end of the little grove and watched as a lone figure descended to the cliffs that overlooked a vast canyon, part of another National Park he had visited with the cousins.

“Jack! Stop, please!” he yelled once more, hoping that Jack wouldn’t try to climb down the cliffs. 

\------------------------------

Of course, Jack had heard Daniel the first time, but he didn’t want to speak him right now. He had been totally unprepared for the sight that had greeted him in Daniel’s room. When going through his rehearsals what to say to Daniel, he never imagined finding him in bed wrestling around with another man, laughing.

He had assumed that Teal’c knew what he was talking about when he had implied… what he had implied. That Daniel was interested in him. That Daniel would come home if only Jack had the courage to tell him it wasn’t the fish that needed him. But then, Teal’c’s information was more than five months old. A long time to make new friends and find the boyfriend he was making out with in his room! 

Jack had never imagined that he would be too late. His worst-case scenarios had always been that Daniel didn’t want a relationship that they had to keep a secret from everybody – except perhaps one very perceptive Jaffa. Even the thought that he might be too old for Daniel had entered his mind; but then he had told himself that it only meant the he could quit the Air Force earlier, get his pension, and travel with Daniel around the world, to wherever Daniel wanted to go. 

Why had he waited so long to come here? Even before Teal’c had told him that he missed the archaeologist, he had known that often his short temper and bad moods were somehow related to Daniel’s absence. He’d thought that he was angry because Daniel had left them, not because Daniel wasn’t there to spend his evenings and nights with Jack. That realization had come only after Teal’c had pushed him into the right direction. 

The nagging hurt he had felt was very different from the overwhelming pain when Daniel was presumed dead after the mission to Omoraca’s planet. Therefore, he hadn’t directly associated it with Daniel. After all, Daniel was still there, only a walk through the Stargate away. And because of that quasi non-existent distance, he had thought that he had all the time in the world to sort out his contradictory feelings. 

And contradictory they were. How on earth had he fallen in love with one of the most exasperating men he knew? Someone who fought him all the way; never was a ‘Yes, sir’ guy, like he was used to due to his rank. Daniel only followed the orders he liked and started a discussion on all the others – on a good day. On a bad day, he went and did what he thought was best, ignoring orders. Jack sighed. More often what was right wasn’t what was safe. The archaeologist was much too warm hearted and showed too much compassion for the worlds out there. 

Was it this passion he was so attracted to? Jack didn’t know. He only knew that after Teal’c had put his feelings into words, he hadn’t stopped thinking about it. Well, it looked like he shouldn’t have put so much effort into his soul searching because it was a moot point now. With the tip of his boot Jack kicked a pebble into the canyon and heard it impact several times on it’s way down to the bottom. 

“Jack, please stop trying to hide. We have to talk,” a very breathless Daniel suddenly said behind him. 

Mmm, it looked like Daniel had neglected his training otherwise he shouldn’t be so out of breath. But if he was sitting on his lily-white butt all day long, only reading and writing…

“I’m not hiding, Daniel. If I had wanted to hide, you wouldn’t have had a rat’s ass of a chance of finding me.” 

“Okay. So why are you here then? For the amazing scenery?” 

Jack looked over the yellow-red canyon and had to admit, that it looked like a smaller version of the Grand Canyon. Very lovely if you were in the mood for that kind of beauty. “I wanted to be alone, but you’re very persistent, aren’t you?” 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” 

“It was a very spontaneous decision.” And it taken only half an hour to convince Hammond that he needed to go right then. Not tomorrow, and not in three hours from now, but immediately. In the end, Hammond had given in and Jack had stormed through the Stargate. 

“And why didn’t you knock before entering? Nrtu is very upset that you saw him touching me.” 

‘Well, he wasn’t the only one!’ But Jack didn’t say that, instead he replied, “I’m sorry I made that little weasel uneasy. You should go, give him my apologies, and resume whatever you were doing.” Jack turned around and started to walk back, but Daniel grabbed his arm. 

“Why did you come?” Daniel fixed him with a very intent gaze. 

Jack noticed that his hair was a bit longer than before, more science-geek than military. Daniel’s clothes made clear that he was well integrated into this society. Beige cotton trousers, an ample, knee long jacket-cape and a blue-black scarf completed his attire. His eyes were as blue as ever. Jack cleared his throat. When a sudden gust of wind tousled Daniel’s hair he felt the strong desire to touch it. 

He freed his arm from Daniel’s hand, because this close contact made him think and feel all the wrong things. Daniel had made his decision, and appeared to have found someone he was in a relationship with, seemed happy – and Jack was going to respect that. “I came to see… uhm… if you’ve found a big honking space gun, yet,” he improvised. 

Daniel’s eyebrows climbed to his hairline. “Is that so?” 

“Yes.” Jack nodded, daring Daniel to contradict him. When Daniel only wetted his lips, nibbling on his lower lip, but didn’t answer, Jack continued, “We should head back to the library. I’m sure…” 

“Oh, oh! That’s so not good!” Daniel interrupted him. 

Jack followed Daniel’s outstretched hand and saw an orange-red whirly cloud approaching fast, and it seemed that not even the canyon would stop it. The menacing wall of dust and sand approached quickly and darkened the sky. Suddenly everything was overcast; the wind was tearing at Jack’s clothes. He felt the first grains of sand blowing into his face and tasted already the fine dust in the air, his throat suddenly going dry. He had been in the middle of some sandstorms while stationed in Iraq, but then he’d always been in a car or a tent, never on a wide open plateau without shelter whatsoever.

“Do you think we can make to that little grove?” Jack pointed to a small protected area.

Daniel shook his head. “No chance. These sandstorms move very quickly. That’s why everybody wears these large shawls – to protect yourself and make sure you’re able to breath.” He un-wrapped his scarf and gave it to Jack. “Here, take this.” 

“And you?” Jack hesitated to accept it. 

“My jacket will protect me. Mroinia once told me that these jackets could double as a mini-tent, but I wasn’t sure if she was pulling my leg or telling the truth. But now…” He stopped and then ordered, “Wait! I have an idea. Put the shawl on the ground and sit down.” 

“What…?” 

“Do it.” 

Jack did as he was told, while Daniel was already taking off his jacket. 

“Put your hands and your feet on the corners so that the shawl stays put.” 

He wasn’t really convinced that they would fit both under Daniel’s jacket-cape, but Jack didn’t have a better idea, so he complied. Daniel pulled the hood of the jacket inside; it wasn’t ideal, but it should be able to keep the sand out. He sat down between Jack’s spread legs, putting his legs over Jack’s thighs so that his feet could take the place of Jack’s hands. 

They shuffled a lot closer so they fit both on the shawl and Daniel spread the jacket over them. Jack grabbed the seam with both hands to hold it down and then manoeuvred to put his feet down on the jacket and the scarf at the same time. It wasn’t easy and the cloth slipped more than once through his fingers, but in the end, they were sitting in their tiny makeshift mini-tent, their feet on the corners, and their hands on both sides holding everything down and together.

The wind was howling now, battering against the ‘canvas’ and pushing small dust clouds into their cocoon through the tiny openings they hadn’t been able to close. But it was a hundred times better than outside! The air was breathable because there was enough wind going through the cloth of the jacket which acted like a filter, keeping out most of the sand. 

They both needed to bend a bit forward to keep their equilibrium, so Daniel’s chin was resting on Jack’s shoulder and his on Daniel’s. Daniel was sending warm air against Jack’s neck when he exhaled, so close that he could smell a faint trace of unknown herbs in his hair and his clothes. Daniel was so close that Jack was surrounded by Daniel’s presence and warmth. Despite the dangerous situation they were in, Jack felt surprisingly safe and content.

When it was clear that their improvised solution would hold, Jack relaxed considerably. The constant howling of the wind was almost hypnotizing. The semi-darkness of their small enclosure, and the feeling of being safe in the middle of the violent forces of nature, added to the lulling sensation. For the moment, Jack was able to pretend that everything was fine. He let the peacefulness wash over him. 

He was startled from his reverie when Daniel suddenly said, “I’m sorry. I’m… so very sorry, Jack. I… I…” He didn’t finish his sentence but instead buried his head deeper into Jack’s shoulder. 

Ha! Did that mean that Daniel had finally realized that he had made a mistake? That Mr. Touchy-hands wasn’t the right one for him? Jack felt a tiny spark of hope. “So, the little weasel has…” 

“What? Uhm… Don’t you…? Never mind. And stop calling him a ‘weasel’. His name is Nrtu and he’s a good friend of mine.” 

“Your boyfriend, you mean.” 

“No, only a friend.” 

“Yeah, right. What kind of friend is lying with you on your bed, laughing and wriggling and touching?” 

“You for example. Not on the bed, but on the sofa. When we fight for the remote control sometimes one of us ends up on top of the other, laughing.”

Jack had to admit that Daniel was right. Those moments existed and he had always loved them, because they spoke of an intimacy they usually didn’t share. And Jack cherished those moments – even if at those times he hadn’t had words to express his feelings. “Okay. So you want to tell me you were battling for the remote control?” 

“No, some photos he wanted to show me, but then hid behind his back. That was the moment you chose to enter the room.” 

That sounded like a reasonable explanation. Maybe. It could explain the compromising situation. And if he believed Daniel’s words that meant that Daniel hadn’t found his SO here. Suddenly Jack’s heart was beating faster. 

Daniel waited a moment then he interrupted Jack’s thoughts. He asked very calmly, “Are you jealous, Jack?” 

Jack ignored the question and asked instead, “Why were you apologizing if not for the wea… Nrtu groping you?” 

“I… You answer first. Are you jealous?” 

Was he jealous? Of course he was. And Daniel, being something of a smart cookie, had obviously figured it out already. Calling the other man ‘weasel’ was a dead giveaway. Jack sighed. No need to beat around the bush any longer. 

“Yes, I am.” He nudged Daniel with his chin, the only body part he was able to move without upsetting their fragile tent construction. “Now, you. Why the apology?” Was there anything, anyone else Daniel felt the need to apologize for? If that was the case then they’d better address it immediately. 

“I… uh…” 

“Daniel!” Jack couldn’t stand the tension any longer. He wanted facts. 

“Okay, okay.” Daniel hesitated for another second then said with a firm voice, “The close proximity to you has triggered a certain …ah… reaction in my body. If you take a second to concentrate on … uhm… what my dick is doing with your dick, you’ll know.” Daniel rushed the last words. 

“My dick?” The moment Jack repeated the words he noticed that Daniel’s very erect dick was indeed pressing into his. Oh my god, Daniel had a hard on in his company! Warmth spread through Jack’s body. 

“I didn’t know if you’d find it unpleasant”, Daniel said with a hint of doubt in his voice. 

“Unpleasant? Hell, Daniel! That’s the best reaction by far!” Daniel wanted what he wanted! That was fantastic. Teal’c had been right after all. A huge wave of happiness spread through Jack’s body. But … but how was it possible they had needed so long to figure this out? Why had they wasted years? “Shit, why do we have to hold this damn canvas in this fucking storm? Otherwise I’d show you how fantastic that is!” 

Daniel chuckled. “You could kiss me instead of swearing like a trooper.” 

“I could do that.” Jack lifted his head as far as it was possible. He was still much too close to Daniel to read the expression on his face, but that wasn’t necessary. The moment his lips touched Daniel’s, the other man let out a deep groan and answered his first, timid advances with a passionate attack of his own. 

Now it was Jack’s turn to moan loudly. His head was spinning and he was sure it wasn’t the need for oxygen. “Oh yeah, this might work, you have the greatest ideas,” Jack gasped, close to Daniel’s lips.

It was one of those rare moments were Daniel didn’t want to talk, instead he was coaxing Jack's mouth open and intensifying the kiss. Jack’s skin was tingling and a rush of wild desire was running through his body. For a split second, he was thinking about bringing his hand to Daniel’s cheek, but then – fortunately- he remembered the position they were in. 

The storm had gained in intensity and shook the makeshift tent, but Jack had to admit to himself that he didn’t grant the forces of nature the same amount of consideration he’d normally do. To feel Daniel’s lips under his took priority. They were kissing and moaning into each other’s mouth, their tongues met and Jack wanted more and even more. He felt dizzy, drunk, and couldn’t remember when he had last felt so out of control, so utterly happy and turned on at the same time. 

Jack moaned in lust – and desperation. This was great, but he wanted to touch more of Daniel, feel naked skin, and the warmth of Daniel’s body without the clothes. With each minute his own desire was soaring higher and he could feel his hard dick along Daniel’s. Perfect, so very perfect – but not enough. He tried to make tiny movements, rubbing his groin against Daniel’s without endangering their perfect balance. The soft friction through the barrier of two layers of clothes was more than sufficient to make his head swim with want but not enough to make him come. 

Daniel got with his plan and started with cautious movements of his own. “Of course, we have a totally impossible timing,” he complained breathlessly and whimpered silently when his dick glided torturously slow along Jack’s. 

Jack reciprocated and soon they were engaging in a soft, careful rubbing and pressing and wriggling. Jack couldn’t decide if this was exquisite torture or the most erotic thing he had ever done in his life. He had never tried bondage but he imagined that it had to be as frustrating and wonderful like this. 

“God, this feels good,” Daniel whispered against his lips before licking over them. 

Jack only grunted and continued kissing him. 

“Can you come like this?” Daniels voice was deeper and more seductive than usually and already the question sent a pleasant shiver over his back, down to his toes. 

“I…” Jack would’ve loved to say ‘yes’ but he knew that it wouldn’t be enough. He wasn’t twenty anymore, not a teenager swamped by hormones. “I’m afraid not.” 

“And if you imagine us, me sitting down on your dick and you breaching me slowly and I’m sinking down on you inch after inch?” Daniel accompanied his words with a firmer movement. 

“Daniel!” Jack's imagination provided promptly this tantalizing picture, he felt heat running through his veins, oh, damn yes, he wanted that. And it would be so easy … Jack made a noise deep in his throat and felt himself coming. He couldn’t resist the urge and he didn’t want to. He capitulated to his imagination of Daniel’s heat and tightness and his own approaching climax and his front sagged against Daniel’s shoulder. 

A few moments later, Daniel said with clear admiration in his voice, “Wow. That’s so … hot. I only wanted to tease you a bit. I would’ve never thought that it was enough. Dammit, now I can’t wait for this damn storm to abate and then I’ll finally have you in my bed.” 

Jack laughed and nuzzled Daniel’s throat. “Patience, young padawan. One who plays with fire sometimes gets burned.” 

“Right.” Daniel sighed. 

“I’ll tell you something totally un-erotic. I have cramps I my fingers from holding the canvas, and I’m afraid the muscles in my butt have fallen asleep.” 

“Okay, that helps.” Daniel chuckled. 

They sat for a few minutes in companionable silence until the wind slowed down and they were able to loosen their fingers for a few moments. It still took another ten minutes until they dared to leave their shelter. They stretched their stiff arms and legs, relaxed their muscles and got their blood circulation going again. 

Together they went to Daniel’s apartment where Mroinia and Nrtu waited anxiously. They told them about how the cape-jacket had provided shelter for them, assured Daniel’s friends that everything was fine now, and that there was nothing that a nice cold drink couldn’t cure. 

Half an hour later they were finally alone. One after the other – the stupid shower stall was too small to squeeze two persons in – they cleaned up to get rid of the sand and the dust. Ten minutes later they lay side by side on the rather small mattress. They had to sort their legs and arms, but that didn’t matter because Jack wanted to be as close to Daniel as possible. 

“By the way, Hammond granted me three days of leave to find out what the really important meaning-of-life-stuff is.” His finger caressed Daniel’s cheek and lips. 

“I’m sure it’s not going to be found in the library,” Daniel said. He looked Jack firmly in the eyes and added, “because the really important ‘stuff’ is lying beside me in the bed.” 

“You say the nicest things,” Jack laughed, and let his eyes wander over the finally naked body of his archaeologist, drinking in the sight. “Okay, I’ll show you now what you got yourself into.” They would have to talk later, but right now he had more important things to do. He bent forward and kissed Daniel.

\---------THE END--------

©Antares, February-May 2017 


End file.
